Scientists at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are a phase closer to putting chemical detectors into the hands of everyone who wants them. Developers have finished demonstrating a miniaturized sensor that can fit into the now-omnipresent personal cell phone. Early testing shows promise for small, inexpensive technology, and over the next year or so project personnel plan to test its real-world application. The cell phone platform would enable crowd sourcing to reduce false positive readings, and it would support instant alerts that would send out timely notifications. The goal of developers is to improve public safety, enhance homeland security and ultimately save lives. In this next round of development, researchers with the program have to figure out how the network will support the technology and determine whether applications that seem strong in the laboratory will function in the field.

This month’s SIGNAL Magazine includes a focus on information security, which, these days, I can only think about in the context of the larger cybersecurity problem. There finally is a preoccupation with discussing cybersecurity on an international basis. The important question is, “How much of this dialogue is being converted to action/implementation?” This is a timely subject for me, as I have written this commentary while sitting in an international conference on Regional Collaboration in Cyber Security being held in Singapore.

It is almost impossible to overstate the importance computer networks and Internet-oriented applications play in today’s federal arena. After all, Pentagon officials constantly stress the military superiority inherent in net-centric warfare in which voice, data, satellite images and video provide essential battlefield information in real time. In this electronic enclave, U.S. fighting forces always stay at least one step ahead of the enemy.

Instead of a NASCAR winner-take-all competition, the race to secure information systems is more of a traffic jam where getting ahead depends on the lane you’re in. Operators consistently crawl along by putting patches in place and upgrading antivirus software, yet that annoying lane-changing system attacker keeps bobbing and weaving its way to the front of the gridlock daring you to catch up. But information superhighway menaces are being quashed by a collaborative effort among government organizations to ensure that the United States is in the correct lane when it comes to staying ahead of information security troublemakers.

A seemingly dead program now has new life as the basis of a U.S. Army tactical communications system. Building on extensive past funding, the service is excerpting pieces of the past and crafting them into a network for the future. This time around, the Army is drawing the users into the design process sooner so that the results are likely to pay big dividends.

This is my sound bite take away from what was certainly an event filled if not significant week (July 19-23) for the Intelligence Community (IC). It is probably not happenstance that the Washington Post ran its almanac facts without context three part investigative "TOP SECRET AMERICA" story on the IC (July 19, 20, & 21), the same week the Senate Select Committee for Intelligences (SSCI) surprisingly relented to political pressure and quickly scheduled a confirmation hearing (July 20th) on Jim Clapper to be the fourth Director of National Intelligence (DNI). When I read the Post's breathless cries about how much money the IC is spending, which Secretary Gates knew was coming, I immediately understood why the Secretary of Defense decided not to lecture the Baker Dinner audience on the need for the IC to rein its spending. He knew that the Post story and the resulting commentary generated would make this point better than he could -- and not cost him any political capital. Finally, in a touch of irony, General Stanley McCrystal awkwardly retired from the Army on 23 July. I am not sure why Thursday July 22nd was devoid of any IC stories of import!

With the development of the Afghan Air Force six to nine months behind schedule, the commander of the Combined Air Power Transition Force pushes for more technology, teaching tools and NATO support.

One of the Big Six IC agencies is the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). For a pretty good introductory video, browse here: http://www.dia.mil/video.html In an honest moment, I will admit that I vacillate between frustration and passion for this critically important agency. Rather than venting about my impressions of the Agency I will keep this blog entry positive and focus on "how you and I can provide real solutions" to an organization that really does need them, and how we can help them to be everything they should be as a vital member of the IC.

Service introduces Prophet Enhanced system into the field at lightning speed under ISR surge.

The U.S. Army and Air Force are on the same page- saving time and money by sharing one geospatial data network.